PROVIDENCE, R.I., April 7, 2014 —Christopher Puig had written off pursuing tax law until he started volunteering this winter assisting needy Rhode Islanders in preparing their income tax returns at the East Bay Community Action Program.

Now the second-year student at Roger Williams University School of Law is not so sure. His experience helping a range of people, of all different backgrounds, tackle their tax forms has piqued his interest in the field.

“We are always learning. It’s always an adventure,” said Puig, 23, of Allendale, N.J. Minutes before, he had helped prepare a tax return for a man who had worked in four states in the past year.

Puig is one of 21 Roger Williams University law students who opted to fulfill their pro-bono requirement by participating in the federal Volunteer Income Tax Assistance program. [...]